Kimber 45 for CHL or stick with H&K .40

fadlan12 · Post by **fadlan12** » Wed Jun 14, 2006 6:50 pm

I recently shot Kimber custom II which shot very nice, made hitting the target a breeze.

As far as concealed carry my USPc .40 is my default choice but the kimber is thinner and would fit easier in a IWB holster.

So beside the increased cost of ammo, would it be worth it to switch? I love my H&K but its going to be hard to conceal with my galco holster. It is a real nice gun and made very well.

But the UPSc has nice safety features and its very safe. I'm kinda new to the 1911 frame and heard you have to keep it cocked and locked.

I would keep both except the .40 has been taking extreme acts of skill to hit toght groups consistantly. Then again I doubt I would sell the uspc...

fadlan12 · Post by **fadlan12** » Wed Jun 14, 2006 7:24 pm

Which is more prefered for concealed carry? is IWB (right hip) a popular location for chl holders?

HighVelocity · Post by **HighVelocity** » Wed Jun 14, 2006 7:34 pm

It's hard to beat a full size 1911. It's very flat and easy to conceal with a good holster.
If you're talking about trading your Hk on a Kimber as your concealed carry weapon and the Hk is currently your only pistol then in my opinion it's a bad idea.
Never give up a pistol that has proven reliable for an unknown. If you have something else to carry that's already proven reliable while the Kimber gets lots of range time and thoroughly tested for function and reliability with the ammo you plan to carry then by all means go for it.

fadlan12 · Post by **fadlan12** » Wed Jun 14, 2006 7:57 pm

Its not that I would get rid of the H&K right away. In my opinion the kimber shoots well and may be easier to conceal but the H&K maybe more reliable longterm. May just have to keep both.

dws1117 · Post by **dws1117** » Wed Jun 14, 2006 8:57 pm

Both are fine guns. Which one you carry depends on which you are more comfortable with and your carry requirements. Your carry requirements may depen on your style of dress and body shape among other factors. With a good belt and holster a full size 1911 is very concealable and comfortable, whether IWB or OWB. Some find them easier to conceal than something that may be smaller in length but wider.

Try them both and carry the one that works best for you. Heck, carry them both. There's not ruls saying you can have only one carry gun.

I agree with HV. I wouldn't get rid on one for the other unless financially it would have to be one or the other.

You'll never love a gun more than after it's been sold or traded.

BTW, welcome to the forum.

remington79 · Post by **remington79** » Wed Jun 14, 2006 10:36 pm

I carry an H&K uspc in 40 also. While not the easiest it is able to be concealed. I'm not a big guy either. I'm only 5 10 and weigh a buck 145 soaking wet. I use a ctac holster (IWB) and am able to conceal it with a loose fitting t shirt. Personally I'd never get rid of any of my firearms. Instead I just save up the money and buy the next one I want/need. My opinion is to collect them all. You can't beat an H&K in terms of reliability and ease of maintance. I'd hang on to it but then again I'm a bit biased towards that paticular brand of pistol.

waffenmacht · Post by **waffenmacht** » Thu Jun 15, 2006 6:25 am

Also keep in mind the Kimber is probably gonna weigh more, and offer less capacity. Some Kimbers are very reliable, while some can be problematic. Is the overall width of your HK really that much wider then a 1911? Just a few things to consider before making a future purchase.
-Bruce

fadlan12 · Post by **fadlan12** » Thu Jun 15, 2006 8:58 am

Thanks for the responses. My only problem is the current IWB holster is form fitted to the pistol. It has very little give and not soft.

I have another holster coming in for the H&K, its soft so maybe it will be easier to conceal and wear.

I like how the kimber custom II shoots and may pick one up soon.

dws1117 · Post by **dws1117** » Thu Jun 15, 2006 9:20 am

If you aren't married to leather look at the Comp-Tac line of holsters. They are quality holsters and the company is top notch.

I like good leather as much as anyone, but Kydex can offer an alternative that can sometimes be thinner than leather.

There are any number of good hybrid hosters that may work well also.

jnkirk1974 · Post by **jnkirk1974** » Thu Sep 07, 2006 8:40 am

I'm going to say what everyone else is saying. If you are used to the HK, keep it.

While the Kimber is a terrific gun, I'd take my chances with an HK (in reliability) over a 1911 design.

txinvestigator · Post by **txinvestigator** » Thu Sep 07, 2006 10:56 am

Which one do you shoot better? Which one has a consistent trigger pull from shot to shot?

AV8R · Post by **AV8R** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 5:14 pm

I agree with you completely in that this is a really tough decision to make. Fundamentally, the physics of the problem pretty much dictates that higher accuracy favors a design with more parts and less design latitude, and higher reliability favors fewer parts and more latitude. The (modern) 1911 is perhaps the best example of the former; the Glock, on the other end, exemplifies the (short) list of wide-latitude survival pistols.

Personally, I like to shoot the 1911 and carry one often, but only because I've done a lot of internal work to get the engagements and clearances like I want them, and I have confidence in the reliability and feeding. Just shooting 500 or 1000 rounds isn't enough; all the geometry has to be right, and you have to know it's right. It's like the proverbial packing your own parachute. In my opinion, an out-of-the-box Kimber would be a fine range gun, but the HK would serve you better for carry, as it's far less likely to turn into a single-shot at an inconvenient time.

dws1117 · Post by **dws1117** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 10:14 pm

george wrote:A 1911 is good if you like to tinker with pistols; real scary as a carry piece.

Fixed two yesterday at the range. A new CDP from Kimber's custom shop, and a fancy Briley. Fun to play with, but don't turn your back on it.

While you are entitled to your opinion, I have to respectfully disagree. As a biased 1911 fan I am still a babe compared to others. I've only had 4 different 1911 pistols over the last few years and have yet to have a problem that wasn't caused by me jacking with the gun. They are over all very safe and reliable guns. Many, many people carry and shoot 1911 pistols every day without problems. They are no better or worse than any other gun on the market.

It's a good thing there are some many different guns to choose from.

Thane · Post by **Thane** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 1:22 am

I would suspect that the reason so many 1911s are seen with problems is that there are simply that many 1911s out there. As what's nigh-indubitably the most popular and produced design in America, it stands to reason that a proportionate amount of lemons were also produced.

Add in the tendency of people to monkey with the design in an attempt to "race" it out, and you've got a platform with an unjustified bad reputation among certain circles.

Me, if the gun will fire every round needed in a defense situation, it's reliable. Some guns are more sensitive to dirt and cleaning than others, and so require a greater amount of attention to keep them reliable. Many 1911s fall into this category, especially highly customized and "accurized" guns.

My carry gun is reliable. It will feed and fire every round I carry, if needed. Sure, if tolerances are supremely tight and I'm using dirty ammo, a pistol might gunk up amazingly quickly and stop working well short of 100 rounds before cleaning. But who carries that much ammo on their person?

I wonder how many folks deemed a gun "unreliable" simply because it got fouled up with powder residue in their initial 500-round "break-in" period, due to their not cleaning it after firing dirty ammo (Think WWB or Wolf)? I suppose we'll never know, as none of us likes to admit to not cleaning their guns. (Self included.

)

BTW, I carry a Kimber Ultra Eclipse II, Custom Shop. Best conceal-carry gun for me; it's ambidextrous, has night sights, has a very positive grip surface on front and backstraps, has night-sights, is my ideal size for carry, and it's .45 and rated for +P.
Oh, and that black-on-stainless look is rather snazzy.

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Kimber 45 for CHL or stick with H&K .40

Kimber 45 for CHL or stick with H&K .40

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